Reunion
by peytona05
Summary: Nick takes Monroe home to continue his convelescence, but their weekend of R & R is about to be interrupted again. Rated T, just to be safe. Part Two of my "Wooden Figurines" trilogy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: In one of Season One's Special Features, Silas Weir Mitchell was credited as playing "Eddie Monroe". While it's true in the show he's only referred to as Monroe, the name in those credits is the name used here.**

xXxXx

The pair of Blutbaden waited across the street from Monroe's house in their car. After receiving word through the Wesen grapevine that he'd struck up a friendship with a Grimm, they'd made their way to Portland to find out for themselves.

Monroe had left early yesterday morning and he hadn't returned home yet. The male was beginning to worry.

"It's not like him to be gone like this; he's the family black sheep. He's not off on a hunt, so where is he?"

His wife responded a moment later. "I don't know, Jack. I wanted to call and nonchalantly mention we were passing through town. But you were afraid that would tip off the Grimm…which, by the way, we don't know whether the rumor is true."

"But Maude," Jack continued, "suppose it is true. What if he's been tricked into a friendship with this Grimm, and now his head's been chopped off?"

"Oh stop it," Maude admonished. "You know no such thing. If you're so worried, why don't you call him? Find out when he'll be home."

Jack looked again at Monroe's house across the street before taking the cell phone from Maude and dialing his son's number.

xXxXx

Monroe had just fallen asleep on Rosalee's couch when his phone began to ring. Nick dug it out of the Blutbad's pocket and answered it, going into the front room of the spice shop to talk.

"Monroe's phone."

"Uh…may I speak to him, please?" a man asked.

"I'm sorry, he can't come to the phone right now. He's been sick for almost twenty-four hours, and he's resting. Can I give him a message?"

"Yeah…sure. Tell him his folks are in town; we were hoping to see him while we're here."

"I'll let him know. I'm going to be bringing Monroe home soon, and if he feels like having company, I'm sure he'll give you a call."

"Thanks," the man replied. "Perhaps we'll have a chance to meet some of his friends during our visit. Speaking of which, I don't think I caught your name."

"It's Nick…Nick Burkhardt."

xXxXx

For a moment, Jack felt as if the wind had been knocked out him.

"I'm sorry…did you say your name is Burkhardt?"

"Yes sir; why?"

Jack briefly hesitated. He had to be careful not to tip his hand. "No reason…I just wanted to be sure I'd heard you right. Well, you be sure to pass along that message, understand?"

Jack hung up and looked at his wife. "Maude…the guy that pulled into the driveway yesterday morning…I think he may have been Marie Kessler's nephew. Her sister that died…the obit said she married a Burkhardt, didn't it?"

"Jack, that was almost twenty years ago. How could you be sure of something you read that far back?" Maude was quiet for a moment. "If you're right, do you suppose he's a Grimm, too?"

"I think so. He answered Eddie's phone, who just _happens_ to be sick. Wouldn't let me talk to Eddie, said he'd give Eddie a message. What does that tell you?"

Maude didn't answer right away. When she finally did speak, she sounded somewhat doubtful of what she was suggesting. "It might be possible, I guess. Maybe he's at the local hospital. We could go check."

Jack glanced at his wife. "No, I don't think so. If he was at the hospital, his phone would have gone to voicemail; no one would have answered. Something's wrong, Maude. According to this Burkhardt character, he'll be bringing Eddie home a little later today. We wait here."

xXxXx

Nick pulled the phone away from his ear, thrown off by the abrupt ending of the conversation.

"Huh, that was funny," he murmured.

"What was?" Rosalee asked. "Who was that on the phone?"

"Did you know Monroe's parents were coming to town this weekend?"

"No…is that who you were talking to?"

Nick nodded. "His dad. I don't think Monroe knew, either. I know he doesn't talk much about his family, but I'm pretty sure he would've mentioned a visit from his parents. Anyway, they want to see him while they're here, maybe meet some of his friends - "

"Which consists of pretty much just us," Rosalee interrupted.

"Yeah, and here's the funny part…his father hung up almost immediately after I gave him my name. Almost like…almost like he knew who I was."

"You mean, like knowing you're a Grimm?" Rosalee wanted to know.

"Something like that, yeah," Nick responded. "But that's impossible. When I first met Monroe, he made it perfectly clear that if his family knew he was helping a Grimm, they wouldn't exactly be leaping for joy about it. There's no way he'd tell them about me."

"So…why was Monroe's dad so quick to hang up?"

Nick shrugged. "I have no idea."

He asked if there was anything he could do to get the spice shop ready for the day's customers, but Rosalee declined the offer.

"I appreciate it, Nick, but the best thing you can do right now is sit in the back with Monroe. Be there when he wakes up. Oh Nick, before you head back in there…when he first woke up, Monroe said something about wooden figurines. What was that about?"

The Grimm briefly smiled as he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out two pieces, a wolf and a man, each wearing a very protective expression. He handed them to Rosalee.

"Monroe carved these yesterday before he was bitten by that tick," Nick explained. "He didn't directly admit to this, but I'm pretty sure they're supposed to be us."

Rosalee noted that the man wore a badge and carried a gun. "I think you're right. And he wanted you to have them?" The Fuchsbau gave the pieces back to Nick.

Nick started to reply, but then heard Monroe calling from the back room.

"Hey! Where did everybody go? And who has my phone?"

"He didn't sleep very long," Rosalee said as she glanced at her watch. "Oh well. I guess you should get that thing back to him before he _chooses _to woge on you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And you, 'Doctor' Rosalee, had better get to work on those release forms." Nick smiled as he turned to leave the room.

Going into the back room, Nick found his friend pushing himself up from the couch.

"Here's your phone." Nick returned it to the Blutbad. "I took a call for you while you were asleep."

Monroe placed it in his pocket. "Thanks, man. Who was it?"

Nick took a deep breath. "Your dad. He and your mom are in town, and-"

Monroe was hysterical. "What?! Nick! What if they're here for you? What if they know you're related to Marie?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Remember I told you about my great-grandma, what happened to her?" Monroe dragged a finger across his finger, making a slicing sound in his throat. "By your aunt. What if my parents found out about you? They won't be as accepting of our friendship as your mom turned out to be."

"Monroe, will you stop it? Just calm down. If you don't want to see them, you have a legitimate reason. You _have_ been sick; call your parents and tell them that. But don't keep them at arms length because of me. You need a valid reason for that."

"You're a better excuse than a tick bite," Monroe argued. "Tick bites aren't contagious."

"Neither am I," Nick countered. "But fine. Do it your way - don't invite your folks over. And when they ask you why, what are you going to tell them? That you're friends with a Grimm police detective, and you never know when he's going to drop in?"

The Blutbad opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again. A moment later he said, "All right, you've made your point. I'll go with the sick excuse."

Rosalee entered the room. "Okay, guys. Hospital hours are over; the store opens in fifteen minutes. You staying or leaving?"

The guys briefly exchanged glances before Monroe answered, "Leaving, I guess. Thanks for everything."

"Just do me a favor…don't bring home anymore ticks," Rosalee pleaded as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Monroe, taken a little off guard by the Fuchsbau's action, awkwardly returned the embrace. "I'll, uh…I'll do my best to avoid it."

As she pulled away, Rosalee kissed Monroe on the cheek. "Good. Call me if you need anything."

Nick had to punch his friend in the arm to snap him out of his trance.

"Right…I'll do that," the Blutbad agreed. "Well, we'd better be….That is, we have to….I mean…I'll see you later."

Monroe walked out the room, leaving his friends to chuckle softly for a moment before Nick said he should be going as well.

"I'd better catch up to him before he decides to walk home. I really appreciate you looking after him, Rosalee. It means a lot."

"Thanks for bringing him here. Take care of him out there on the streets, Nick. And one of you let me know what ends up happening with his parents."

Nick smiled as he followed Monroe out of the spice shop to take him home.


	2. Chapter 2

A short while later, Nick pulled into Monroe's driveway.

"Here's your stop. Once we get your things inside, I'm taking my own gear home."

"Hey, since you weren't supposed to be in town this weekend, what do you say to a guys' night in? Or do you think Juliette will want you to stay in tonight?" Monroe asked.

Nick realized that he hadn't contacted his girlfriend at all to let her know what had happened. He hadn't talked to Juliette since she saw him off the morning before, so she had no idea that Monroe had gotten sick and that they had come home early.

He shrugged even as he shook his head. "I don't think it'll be a problem. She may want to drive her own car over to make sure you're all right, but I'm sure she won't mind giving us a little guy time afterwards. What time?"

It was Monroe's turn to shrug. "Anytime, man. I'm not going anywhere."

At this point, the pair exited the jeep. Nick popped his trunk, handed Monroe his sleeping bag, and grabbed the bag containing the Blutbad's clothes.

A few minutes later, Nick was backing out of the driveway, with plans to hang out with his friend again; if not that evening, then at some point before the weekend ended.

xXxXx

Jack and Maude continued to watch from across the street, waiting for their son's friend to leave. They watched him pull out of the driveway and round the corner. When the couple was certain he wasn't coming back, they exited their vehicle and crossed the street. Reaching the front door, Jack glanced at his wife before knocking.

xXxXx

Monroe was in the middle of putting away his clothes when his nose twitched at a scent he wasn't used to smelling. There was another Blutbad on his property - in fact, he thought he smelled two - and he thought he knew who it belonged to.

_Damn. I knew I should have called my parents before I got started on this._

He heard a knock on the door and headed downstairs to let his visitors in. Even though he recognized his parents' scents, he was still caught off guard at seeing them on his doorstep.

He swallowed before motioning for them to come inside. "Hi, Mom, Dad. You know, I was going to call you this afternoon. I got your message, and - "

"Where have you been, son?" his father interrupted. "When I called earlier, someone else answered."

A million thoughts were running through Monroe's head, and he stumbled over his words, trying to get them out in the right order. "Yeah, that was…was Nick, a buddy of mine. W-we went camping yesterday, and um…I ended up getting sick. And I-I'm still not feeling all that great, so…so maybe we could do this…you know, some other time."

His mother piped up, "If you're not feeling well, let me fix you something."

"No!" Monroe exclaimed before he could stop himself. "I mean, you don't have to. We have a spice shop here in Portland, and the owner fixed me up with some…sort of…concoction."

_How am I going to get them out of here?_ Monroe wondered. _I know Nick won't be back for a while, but I don't want take the chance that I'll slip up and say something about him._

"Look, I don't want to make you feel unwanted or anything, but you know, I really should be resting, so…I'll see you…at Thanksgiving. We're still doing that this year, right?"

xXxXx

_Something isn't right_, Jack thought. _What is he hiding?_

"We came all this way to see you, son. We'd hate to leave, feeling like we didn't try to make you comfortable."

"I'm comfortable, Dad," Monroe replied. "Really. You know, Nick's gonna be back later to hang out. If I need something, I can call him."

xXxXx

Monroe immediately hated himself for saying that. He'd wanted to leave Nick out of the conversation, but now that Monroe had brought him into it, he could just imagine the questions his parents would ask.

His mom asked the first one. "We were hoping to meet some of your friends while we were here. How about telling us about Nick? How did you meet him? Was it at one of those self-help groups you've talked about?"

Monroe's mind went back to his jumping out a window to attack the Grimm. "No….It was more along the lines of a chance encounter." Monroe struggled to think of vague information that wouldn't link Nick to Marie Kessler. "We've known each other about a year. He's a cop…lives with his girlfriend…beyond that, there's not really much to tell."

Monroe hoped his parents would be satisfied with that small amount of information, but as the trio of Blutbaden stood in the living room exchanging glances, he knew in his gut that his folks would want to know more.

xXxXx

Nick called Juliette on his way home.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked.

"One of the other vets called in sick at the last minute," she responded. "I'm getting ready to fill in for her. Didn't you say you couldn't reception in that area?"

"I'm not at the site anymore. Monroe ended up getting sick, so we came back early. I just dropped him off at home."

"Oh, too bad I have to work today. Do you think he'd mind if I checked on him when I get off?" Juliette asked.

"No, I don't think he'd mind. Listen, Monroe and I were actually wondering; since our camping trip got cut short, are you okay with me going back over to his place later to hang out?"

In the time since Juliette had lost her memory, Nick had been doing his best to keep things as normal as possible, hoping that eventually Juliette would remember him and how much he loved her. And while he wanted to respect her space, he also didn't want to take for granted that occasionally she might to spend some time with him.

"Yeah, that's fine. I was actually thinking I might spend the evening looking through some more photo albums. You go and have fun with Monroe. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," Nick answered. "I love you."

A few seconds passed before Juliette acknowledged his words. "Yeah. Bye, Nick."

The Grimm ended the call and sighed. There was so much his abilities allowed him to do, but he had no idea how to bring Juliette's memory back. Bringing her home hadn't helped, and neither had the pictures or seeing him with Monroe. He had no idea what would do the trick.

Nick pulled up to his house a few minutes later. He quickly pulled a sandwich out from his cooler and ate while unloading the jeep.

Once he had everything put away, Nick pulled the figurines out of his shirt pocket and looked at them briefly before placing them on the mantle above the fireplace. It took him a few minutes to get the miniature man and wolf situated just the way he wanted them. Always keeping them back to back, he finally decided to have the pieces standing slightly at each other's shoulder and at an angle, so he could always clearly see the reminder of his friendship with Monroe. Just because the world Nick lived in would never understand his friendship with a Blutbad, it didn't mean he had to hide this small representation.

Even though it was only early afternoon, Nick decided to go back over to Monroe's. Surely he'd called his parents by now, and it would be safe for Nick to come over.

xXxXx

Monroe's parents were still curious about Nick, and it was getting harder for him to come up with vague information. No, Nick hadn't always lived in Portland, but honestly it had never come up exactly how long he'd lived here. He didn't really have any family to speak of, but despite that fact, he seemed to have turned out all right.

The Blutbad's nerves were starting to fray, and he was afraid that at any moment he would slip up at mention the word "Grimm". Just when he thought he would no longer be able to keep it to himself, Monroe's nose began to twitch at another all too familiar scent.

_Oh god…Nick's back. All hell's about to break, and I'm not going to be able to stop it._

Monroe watched his parents' noses twitch as Nick knocked at the door. He nervously excused himself from the living room. He opened the door just enough to be able to see Nick and stop him from entering.

"Hey," Nick began, "I know I'm early, but - "

"Yeah, now's not really a good time," Monroe said in a hushed tone. "I've got company." Then he mouthed, "My parents are here, and they're asking about you."

xXxXx

Nick was hit hard with the realization of what he'd just done. The thought had never occurred to him that his friend's parents would show up unannounced, and by not calling first, Nick had jeopardized Monroe's relationship with them.

Nick started to back away, but before he had a chance to tell Monroe to call him later, two Blutbaden appeared in the doorway behind Monroe, both in full Wesen form and ready to attack.


	3. Chapter 3

Nick braced himself to take on the older Blutbaden, but Monroe stood his ground between his parents and the Grimm. Monroe's father forced his way in front, but the younger Blutbad grabbed him by the arm. The color of Monroe's eyes changed, indicating he was about to woge.

"No Dad, wait! It's okay." Monroe took a deep breath. "This is Nick. He's…um…"

The older Blutbad returned to his human form. "He's a Grimm!"

"You don't understand! He's not like the others, he's on our side." Monroe paused, still breathing heavily. "Nick's not like the ones we've always heard about. As long as you don't give him a reason to come after you, he'll leave you alone."

Monroe's mother had also turned human again. "The fact that he's a Grimm is reason enough not to trust him."

"I trust him," Monroe countered. "He's not just a Grimm. He's my friend."

xXxXx

Maude was taken aback by what she'd just heard her son say.

_Friends with a Grimm? Is it even possible?_

"So the rumors are true. We'd gotten word that you had befriended a Grimm, but we never imagined it was true. Eddie, listen to me. Nothing good can come of this. He's a Grimm, and he _will_ turn on you.

xXxXx

Nick just stood there as he watched Monroe interact with his parents. He wondered if this was how Monroe and Rosalee had felt when they first met his mother - like their friendship had been intruded upon, yet at the same time as if they were the intruders in someone else's life.

Finally Nick spoke up. "Monroe, why don't I just go? Give me a call when you have this…all worked out."

He turned and made his way back to the jeep.

xXxXx

Monroe followed the Grimm. "Nick wait a minute. Can we talk about this?"

When Nick spoke, he sounded angry. "No, we can't. But apparently you and your parents need to. You said they were asking questions, so answer them. Tell them everything there is to know about me."

"Nick, you heard me back there. I tried to stick up for you; they won't listen to me."

"So try harder. It's not enough to tell them I'm different if you don't tell them I won't burn your house down or chop your head off like my Aunt Marie did to your ancestors."

"It's not that easy!" Monroe argued.

"I'm not saying it has to be! It wasn't any easier for me when I tried to explain to my mom why we're friends. But I _protected_ you from her; I shouldn't have to ask you to do the same for me."

Nick opened the driver's door and started to get into his jeep, then stopped and looked at Monroe. "You know, before you got bit by that tick yesterday, I was thinking about those figurines you made. I was thinking how under normal circumstances, a man and a wolf would be staring at each other, protecting their own territory. But because those pieces were meant to be us, I liked the idea of them standing back to back, protecting each other. Maybe I was wrong to think that."

The Grimm got in his car, cranked it up, and drove away without saying another word.

xXxXx

Nick's blood was boiling as he drove away, but honestly, he wasn't sure why. He hadn't meant to get mad; it just sort of happened. But he'd expected Monroe to speak up more than he had, and that hurt. He knew their friendship was unusual, and that Monroe's parents had good reasons for being wary of Nick, but he felt like Monroe had barely tried to argue those reasons at all.

Deep down, Nick knew he should go back and apologize, but his pride wasn't ready to do that. Out of habit, Nick drove to Aunt Marie's trailer, where he would sit and allow himself to hurt for the next couple hours.

xXxXx

_What the hell just happened?_ Monroe thought.

He stood in his driveway and watched Nick leave. Nick had never walked out on him before, and he didn't like being left feeling like he'd lost his best friend.

But that was just it. Somewhere along the line, Nick really had become his best friend, and they'd just had their first real fight.

_He doesn't understand. I feel like I'm being forced to choose between my friends and my family, and -_

Another thought occurred to Monroe. Nick _did_ understand. Mrs. Burkhardt had reacted much like Monroe's own parents had, yet in the end, Nick had not been forced to choose one over the other.

The Blutbad hoped that he wouldn't have to either, but as he looked over his shoulder at his parents, he wondered how realistic it was to hope for that.

He had to get away from his parents for a while; maybe he'd go see Rosalee. Turning around, he walked back to the house. He made his way inside to get his keys. As he passed his parents, Monroe said, "I'll be back later. Please…just stay here. Don't go anywhere."

Jack asked Monroe where he was going.

"Dad, you just tried to attack one of my friends. I hope you don't expect me to be okay with that, because I'm not. And for the record, neither is he. Nick has always done right by me, and now he's upset because I didn't stick up for him like he did for me when his mom was here. And speaking of his mom, let me tell you what I know about his family. Both of Nick's parents were thought to be killed in a car accident eighteen years ago. Nick was raised by his Aunt Marie, who chopped off Great-Grandma's head and burned Grandpa's farm. A few weeks ago, Nick found out his mom faked her death. The first time I met her, she attacked me, but by the time she left town, she was more or less okay with Nick's and my friendship. I trust Nick, and I know in my gut he won't come after me."

At this point Monroe was standing beside his Beetle. "I've gotta clear my head. Please…don't go anywhere."

xXxXx

Jack watched his son drive away. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He looked at Maude.

"Eddie's actually defending a Grimm. And not just any Grimm, but one whose own relative came after our family. There has to be a way to show Eddie he's making a mistake. I'll be back later."

"Where are you going?" Maude wanted to know.

"If Eddie gets back before I do…tell him I went for a walk."

With that, Jack left his wife standing in the doorway.

xXxXx

Maude watched Jack leave. He was walking in the general direction that the Grimm had gone. She had a bad feeling as to what her husband might have been planning.

Whatever it was, she knew one thing for certain: Her son wouldn't approve.

It was clear that he cared for the Grimm, but Maude was convince that eventually he would be betrayed, and would end up hurt…or worse.

_He's so sure that nothing will happen to him, but this Nick is a Grimm. Something always happens when there's a Grimm involved._

She and Jack were not in the habit of visiting their son, so she took the time she had alone to acquaint herself with Monroe's home. She hoped that in doing so, she might find something that would help her better understand her son's friendship with the Grimm.

xXxXx

To anyone that happened to be watching, Jack was just a simple man out for a stroll. But he wasn't; he had a point to make, and he would make it, even if he had to lie in order to do so.

In the midst of exhaust fumes and other smells he wasn't familiar, Jack picked up the Grimm's scent and slowly followed it to a trailer park, which housed small trailers and RVs.

The Blutbad walked through the park, looking for some sign of the Grimm or his jeep, but when the scent's trail led him to the exit and to the left, Jack sighed as he wondered if perhaps he was on a wild goose chase. After reminding himself that he was doing this for his son, Jack continued on his so-called walk, searching for the Grimm.


	4. Chapter 4

While in the trailer, Nick updated some of the Grimm files he'd been behind in, trying to keep his mind off his fight with Monroe. But his thoughts were continuing to drift to the hurt look Monroe had worn when Nick drove off.

Finally, Nick put his books away and locked up the trailer. He returned to his jeep and as he made his way home, he called Juliette, leaving a message on her voicemail.

"Hey Juliette, it's me. Change of plans…Monroe's parents came into town unexpectedly, and I think he's going to be with them tonight, so I'm on my way back to the house. I'll see you when you get home. I love you…bye."

Nick walked in his front door a few minutes later. He went to the kitchen for a beer, then returned to the living room. He stood by the fireplace, with his arm propped up on the mantle, and stared at the wolf figurine. For the first time since meeting Monroe, there was a part of Nick that felt as though he were defending his territory against the Blutbad.

xXxXx

Jack trailed Nick's scent to his house, where he spotted the jeep he'd been driving earlier. Sniffing the air, Jack thought, _No other recent scents, so no one has come to pick him up. The Grimm must still be here._

The Blutbad cautiously made his way onto the property, and carefully peeked through one of the front windows. He saw Nick in the living room, standing near the fireplace.

Jack remained near the window, out of sight but still able to see the Grimm. In order for his plan to work, Jack needed to be able to get in and out of the house without the Grimm knowing he was there. When it was clear to Jack that Nick would be in the living room for a while, he carefully made his way around the house, looking for another entrance.

Jack finally spotted his way in. On the back side of the house, there was an upstairs window that someone had accidentally left open, and as luck would have it, there also happened to be a ladder leaning against the wall.

Jack smiled. _I'll bet the Grimm doesn't know about this. And if by chance he does, he doesn't know it's going to help a father show his son the light._

After widening the base, Jack climbed the ladder and silently entered the house. Finding himself at the end of a hallway, he went in search of the Grimm's bedroom. Upon finding it, Jack immediately went to the closet. He opened the door and pulled out one of Nick's T-shirts off its hanger.

Jack groaned at the smell. _Ugh…he must wear this one a lot; his scent is all over it. Well good…the stronger, the better._

The Blutbad closed the door, and with T-shirt in hand, he exited the house the same way he'd entered. After propping the ladder against the wall again, Jack left the Grimm's property and made his way back to Monroe's house.

xXxXx

Monroe never did make it over to Rosalee's. Instead, he just drove around town, Nick's words ringing in his ears.

_You said they were asking questions…Tell them everything…It's not enough to tell them I'm different…I won't burn your house down or chop off your head…It wasn't easy for me to explain why we're friends…I _protected_ you…I shouldn't have to ask you to do the same._

Monroe knew Nick was right. After all, the Grimm had been so quick to defend him when Mrs. Burkhardt attacked him. Why couldn't Monroe hold his ground when it came to his own parents?

Monroe also thought about what Nick had said about the figurines.

_Standing back to back, protecting each other…Maybe I was wrong about that._

The Blutbad wondered exactly what Nick meant by that. Wrong about the figurines, or wrong about…them? He wasn't starting to reconsider being friends with Monroe, was he?

Monroe had no idea whether it was too late to do anything, but if it was the last thing he did, he promised himself that he would stick up for Nick, the way he should have in the first place.

With that in mind, Monroe turned his Beetle around, and as he made his way back home, he called Rosalee to ask her to meet him at his place for moral support.

xXxXx

Juliette made her way to the car after getting off work. Once settled in the driver's seat, she checked her cell phone for any missed calls. Only one - Nick. She decided she would listen to his message later; first she wanted to go over to Monroe's and make sure he was doing okay.

Honestly, Juliette wasn't even sure she wanted to listen to the message. She'd been trying so hard to remember him, but nothing she tried was working. She kept having small flashbacks of things she'd seen or heard, but none of it making any sense.

For instance, what had Bud the refrigerator man meant when he'd begged her not to let Nick hurt him, and what was with the pies and the quilt? When she'd talked to Bud a couple weeks ago, he'd said something about Nick being a Grimm, whatever _that_ was. When Juliette asked what he meant, she'd gotten the impression he was trying to hide something.

Come to think of it, she would get the same feeling whenever she'd talk to Monroe. And she didn't understand that. He was supposed to be a good friend of Nick's - a good friend to both of them apparently, since she could remember having him over to dinner - so why would he hide something that might help her remember Nick?

Oh well…maybe she'd ask him when she got to his house.

xXxXx

Rosalee sighed as she ended the call from Monroe. They hadn't talked long, only a couple minutes, if that long.

He hadn't said much at all, really…just that there was something he needed to take care of, and he wanted to know if she could meet him at his place.

"Yeah, sure," she'd agreed. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

The Fuchsbau wondered what was going on. Monroe sounded more tense than he normally did, and Rosalee was concerned it might have had something to do with his parents. Neither he nor Nick had called to tell her what ended up happening with them. The thought crossed her mind that maybe Nick had been right this morning. Maybe Monroe's parents really _did _find out about Nick and something had gone wrong.

Rosalee tried to stop it, but her imagination was running wild with horrible possibilities as she hid the cash box, locked up the shop, and drove over to Monroe's house.

xXxXx

Jack hid in the trees across the street, waiting for Monroe to come home. He stood stripped to the waist, with the Grimm's T-shirt laying on a nearby branch.

Not knowing when Monroe would return, Jack would have to be ready to don the T-shirt and hit his son with the blunt end of the branch as soon as Monroe exited the car, without letting him know it wasn't the Grimm attacking him.

The older Blutbad knew it was underhanded to trick his son like that, but Jack didn't know any other way to go about convincing him that having a Grimm around was a bad idea.

Jack continued to watch his son's house, and his patience soon paid off, though not without an unexpected visitor.

xXxXx

Just as Monroe was approaching his house, he saw a car pull into his driveway. He thought it resembled Juliette's, so he parked his Beetle on the street. That way, he wouldn't block Juliette in.

_Nick wasn't kidding. She really did drive over to see me. God, she picked a bad time for a visit._

He and Juliette exited their vehicles and started walking toward each other. Monroe was about to call out a greeting to Juliette when the smile on her face contorted into a look of fear as she gazed at something behind him.

At the same time, Monroe caught a whiff of a strange blend of scents and heard rapid footsteps coming up behind him.

Not looking back, the Blutbad broke into a run towards Juliette. He knocked her to the ground and shielded her with his body just as he was rammed in his lower back with a blunt object.

The pain washed away the fact that he was protecting Juliette, and Monroe's back arched as he involuntarily woged and let out a howl.

The attacker dealt a few more blows before dropping his weapon and running off. Monroe, nearly unconscious from the beating, rolled onto the ground and returned to his human form. He was so close to unconsciousness that he didn't see Juliette stand and run to her car.


	5. Chapter 5

Rosalee was parking her car behind Monroe's just as another car backed out of his driveway. She exited her car and started walking toward the house when she saw Monroe on the front law, struggling to get up.

_My god…what the hell just happened?_ she wondered.

Before getting any closer, Rosalee pulled her phone out of her pocket and speed-dialed Nick.

"Hey…Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I'm over at Monroe's, and something's wrong. You need to get here pronto." She lowered her voice. "Monroe's been hurt."

Rosalee ended the call and ran over to Monroe, who still had not made it off the ground. She knelt beside him and placed her hands gently on his shoulders to keep him from moving. Monroe ended up laying on his belly, with his head resting on Rosalee's lap.

She began running her fingers through his hair but stopped when she noticed that his shirt had come up slightly in the back, revealing several dark bruises.

The Fuchsbau gasped at the sight. "Monroe, what happened?"

Monroe struggled to respond. "I don't know…Juliette came over…we were attacked."

"Juliette came without Nick?"

"We had a fight…My parents are here, and…Nick got mad…he left."

Rosalee didn't understand. Nick never got mad. She asked what had made him angry.

"He's a better friend than I am. He's a hell of a lot better at explaining why we're friends."

_That has to be the pain talking_, Rosalee thought.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a branch laying on the ground and remembered Monroe's bruises. "Did you see who attacked you?"

xXxXx

Monroe struggled to recall the details. "No…the scent was really strange…like some weird combination of scents…One was really overpowering, almost masking the other one."

Suddenly Monroe was hit by the realization that he'd subconsciously recognized the stronger scent. "Nick…it was Nick I smelled."

Rosalee scoffed. "Monroe, come one. It can't be."

"You don't understand. I _know_ what Nick smells like. I know his scent like the back of my hand. I could recognize it anywhere."

"But why would Nick come after you? He's your friend."

"That's what I can't figure out…I don't know."

xXxXx

Nick nearly sped over to Monroe's, concerned for his friend. Any doubts he'd had regarding their friendship were gone; all he cared about was making sure the Blutbad was okay.

He didn't have any of the details, but one thing the Grimm knew for certain was that whoever or whatever had hurt Monroe…they were going to get it.

Nick pulled up behind Rosalee's car, and saw his friends in the yard. As he exited his jeep, he saw out of the corner of his eye a bystander watching from across the street.

xXxXx

Jack had changed shirts in the woods, certain that his deception had done the trick. He remained by his car, trying to decide the best way to reenter the house without being seen, when he saw the Grimm pull up, exit his vehicle, and start walking in his direction.

The Blutbad tried to run, but the Grimm was clearly well-trained. Before Jack was able to get very far, Nick had tackled him to the ground.

xXxXx

"I know you had something to do with this!" Nick cried.

"With what?" the Blutbad spat.

Nick pointed across the street. "Your son's laying in his yard - hurt - and you were just standing there like you were waiting for a bus. Do you really expect me to believe you don't know what happened to him? I don't think so. Now let's go."

Taking hold of one of Jack's arms, Nick pulled Monroe's father to his feet and dragged him across the street.

xXxXx

"You said there were two scents," Rosalee said. "What was Nick's smell masking?"

Monroe closed his eyes to focus more on the secondary scent. Nick's had been so overbearing that Monroe was having trouble trying to distinguish it from the other. As he tried to recreate the scent in his mind, it seemed to be familiar to him, but Monroe just couldn't figure out what it was.

He slowly propped himself up on his elbows, and as he took a deep breath, he caught a whiff of Nick's scent. Monroe looked in the Grimm's direction and saw Nick hauling his father across the street. It was then that Monroe realized what the secondary scent had been.

The Blutbad once again struggled to stand, and with Rosalee's help, this time he made it to his feet.

xXxXx

Maude had watched through the window as Jack attacked their son, but for whatever reason, she'd been wary of going out to the front lawn to make sure he was all right. But when she saw that the Grimm had returned and was now pulling Jack into the yard by the arm, Maude exited the house to join the small crowd of people outside.

xXxXx

"No, no, no, no!" Monroe cried. "Dad, you did this to me! What the hell were you thinking, using our weak spot against me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack responded. "Only a Grimm would do that."

Monroe shook his head negatively. "Not the Grimm I know. I don't know how you did it, but somehow you managed to use Nick's scent to throw me off…how dare you!"

"Why the hell are you defending a Grimm?"

Monroe briefly hesitated before answering his father's question. "I'm not defending a Grimm. I'm defending Nick, my _friend_. And I'll tell you why: He's stuck his neck out for me more than once, and the least I can do is keep him out of hot water, where you're concerned. He's not going to turn on me…he's not going to come after me…and I'm _not_ afraid of him. And just so we're clear, Dad, you're not allowed to touch him. He's part of my territory, and I will protect him. Anywhere Nick is, he's off limits to you."

"Eddie, you're not serious," Monroe heard his mother say from behind him.

xXxXx

One look at his son told Jack that Monroe was indeed serious, and that angered him.

Instead of letting Monroe answer, the older Blutbad told his wife, "I don't think he'll be changing his mind about this, Maude. We're going home, son; don't expect us to come back here."

With, Jack shook his arm free of Nick's grip and walked across the street to the car.

xXxXx

Maude slowly followed her husband to their car, then returned a few moments later, carrying Nick's shirt. She handed it to him.

"This belongs to you. Jack used it to mask his scent. Eddie, maybe it would be better if you didn't come home for Thanksgiving."

She watched as his head drooped, then bobbed up and down in agreement.

"Mom, please tell me you understand,"

"I can't do that, Eddie, because I don't. You've made your choice, and it's not one your father and I can abide by." She kissed her son on the cheek. "I love you, son."

xXxXx

Monroe cleared his throat. "Yeah…I love you too, Mom."

He watched her walk across the street and leave with his father. When he could no longer see their car, Monroe turned toward his house.

"I need an ice pack for my back. I'm going inside."

With that, the Blutbad slowly walked away from his friends.

xXxXx

Nick and Rosalee watched Monroe head inside, then looked at each other.

"I don't think he should be alone right now," Rosalee said. "I don't know about you, but I'm staying here."

Nick smiled sadly. "You know I'm coming with you. I'm not leaving him alone right now."

They quietly entered the house and found Monroe laying facedown on the couch, with an ice pack covering his lower back.

Rosalee sat on the floor in front of the couch. "Monroe, I'm sorry about what happened out there. Is there anything we can do?"

"No, there's nothing anybody can do. Like Mom said, I made my choice. It can't be undone now."

Nick knelt on the floor beside Rosalee and gently placed his hand on Monroe's shoulder. "Hey…I'm sorry I walked out on you."

The Blutbad turned his head to look at Nick. "I'm sorry I let you down." He paused. "You were right. About the figurines, I mean. Protecting each other…that's a freaking good idea, dude. You know I've always had your back, right?"

Nick nodded. "Me too; I never stopped. Still friends?"

Monroe smiled. "Definitely…the best."

And there sat a Grimm, a Fuchsbau, and a Blutbad, natural enemies but still finding friendship in each other, not realizing that someone else still needed convincing that no one would get hurt.

xXxXx

Juliette sat on the couch in her own living room, surrounded by photo albums but not looking through any of them. Instead, she was replaying the last conversation she'd had with Nick…after being scratched by Adalind's cat.

She remembered standing with Nick in his aunt's trailer, where he'd tried to explain what a Grimm was. After what she'd seen tonight at Monroe's, Juliette was pretty sure she understood.

_Nick, you're a monster hunter. And Monroe is one of those _things_ you tried to tell me about._


End file.
